Books from the old school library started being moved over Monday to the new facility, where light surrounds rows of computer stations and media equipment for students and the community.

“It will be the modern-day library,” Lynch said.

“This is one of the great spaces of the new building,” echoed Peirce.

He pointed to a large corner section where a half-dozen rectangular tables grouped together with oak chairs formed an inviting larger space where the school building committee held its first meeting about a week ago. An overhead projector camera and screen enabled the building project manager to present the progress.

“It was a terrific experience,” Peirce said when asked about that meeting.

Ribbon-cutting invites go out

Ribbon-cutting for the new regional high school has been set for Aug. 25 at 3 p.m.

At last week’s regional school committee meeting, Vice Chairwoman Julie Ramos-Gagliardi shared additional details for the ribbon-cutting, which will allow citizens to get their first look at the 222,850-square-foot high school building. It will serve grades 9 through 12, and feature three levels dedicated to academics and two stories of common areas, some of which will be accessible to the public.

The building's total projected cost is about $82.38 million. It is being completed on time and on budget under joint general contractor Bacon/Agostini, with just over 60 percent projected for reimbursement by the state.

Ramos-Gagliari said a wide range of groups and individuals were being invited to the ribbon-cutting.

After the ribbon-cutting, a speaking program and the first public tours of the school will take place. About 40 student leaders will provide assistance on the tours, and sponsors will supply refreshments and other provisions.

“There’s been a lot of public support,” Ramos-Gagliardi said.

Earlier Monday morning, newly promoted Somerset Berkley Principal David Lanczycki and his two vice principals, Susan Brelsford and Kim DoCouto, who took Lanczycki’s job, began using their new offices.

While the phone system was not connected and calls to the administrators were being routed to Berkley Middle School, Lynch said parents’ messages would be forwarded in a timely way.

“This is the first day David was actually able to work in his office,” Lynch said.

Page 2 of 3 - Versatility of new school

Besides the beauty of a school with polished and colorful flooring and gleaming hardwoods, where form and function mesh artfully, the officials introduced the school’s versatility.

The new space for art students opens to a courtyard to allow students to work outside. Similarly, the consumer science area hosts a well-equipped kitchen and enables food to be served in an outdoor courtyard.

Peirce noted public schools’ requirements to teach and train eligible students up to age 22. He noted that the stoves, ovens, and washers and dryers will help prepare students with certain needs by teaching them life skills for independent living through consumer science instruction.

Another space they touted was a comfortably arranged lecture hall with access for Internet and camera outlets. The hall can hold about 70 students.

In the doubled-tiered auditorium, technicians were testing the high-tech Bose sound system.

Four speakers grace an impressive stage, with two more on each side and large acoustic panels on the walls to maximize the sound, make the space seem like a small symphony hall.

A large sound mixer is erected between the tiers. The deep, wide stage has dressing rooms on two sides and is accessible from several areas.

The wood-paneled auditorium has 800 well-cushioned navy seats.

Students will respect it

“Most times, when you give students something like this, they respect it,” Lynch said.

Asked if he envisioned community productions being held in the auditorium, he said, “They’re already lining up. We’ve had several inquiries.” He said school officials had set a structure of rental fees for such uses.

State police Trooper Adam Crook was admiring the spacious cafeteria after a meeting with officials to discuss using the old high school for public safety training next week.

“Isn’t it incredible?” Lynch beamed as Crook looked up at a huge skylight that complements two walls of glass.

“Did you see the gym?” Lynch asked Crook.

“One of the cafeteria aspects is the natural light,” Lynch said, stating that during the day, interior lights may never need to be turned on.

The cafeteria's double doors lead out to a concrete patio, where students and teachers will be able to eat on round stationary table and chair sets. The patio overlooks the baseball and football fields and parking area in the distance.

The south end of the school includes most of the community space: the cafeteria, auditorium and gym, which can be divided in half for multiple events. The gym can also seat 3,200 and is just steps away from the auditorium. Audio and video systems also make it possible to hear and see what’s happening in the other venue.

He described the sparkling walnut gym floor by noting the four layers — plywood, rubberized boards, additional plywood and the top hardwood surface — that support cushioning and play.

In a facility where wrestling and basketball can go on simultaneously, gone will be the days when coaches, students or janitors are lugging heavy mats that seem to always be in the way.

Hydraulic lifts that can handle up to 400 pounds will hoist them to the ceilings and out of the way.

The three-story north end of the building is for academic space, the second and third floors are almost exclusively designated as classroom and faculty work spaces. With more teachers than classrooms, desks for teachers are set up by discipline, with shared conference rooms.

The library is located near the administrative offices on the first floor, with music, art, consumer science and related spaces also on the first floor.

Peirce and Lynch praised the building committee, chaired by Richard Fenstermaker, which, along with related subcommittees, has volunteered its time the past three years to oversee all aspects of building the new high school.

“All the major things are done,” Lynch said of the school’s interior.

Site work and landscaping, putting in new soccer fields in the front of the school and demolition of the old school, first built in 1936, are expected to continue through the next year.

Teachers begin work at the new high school Aug. 27, with freshmen beginning Sept. 2, and the first full day of classes for all grades on Sept. 3.

Fall sports begin in mid-August.

Peirce said town residents have talked about building a new high school for about 15 years.

Lynch and Peirce said there have been discussions with the Massachusetts School Building Authority and Department of Elementary and Secondary Education on funding. Somerset previously issued a statement of interest for a new high school and Berkley for a new junior-senior high school, Lynch said.

In 2008, state officials noted that Berkley had been paying tuition to Somerset for its high school students for 23 years; therefore, the state turned down requests for separate projects from the two towns, Lynch said.

“They told us we were only going to get one shot at this,” he said. “If we didn’t have regionalization, we wouldn’t have a new high school.”